On 'Long Way Down,' a Ride Full of Highs

Since the trip starts in Scotland, one might expect to hear the strains of "you take the high road and I'll take the low road," though in this case the song might continue, "and I'll be in Kenya before ye." But then this journey is too hip for old folk songs; it's a journey taken by decidedly young folk, two adventurous actors who care enough about the world to see as much of it as possible, and generously invite armchair tourists and rolling couch potatoes to come along with them.

The film of their journey, "Long Way Down," not only belongs to a new generation of documentaries, it also represents a genuine departure for the Fox Reality Channel, which usually airs fare of far less ambitious aims (dating shows, mating shows and car chases shot by cops). Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, two peripatetic adventurers, decided to spend three months traveling mostly by motorcycle from north to south -- through 19 countries, most in Africa -- and "Long Way Down" is the captivating and liberating result.

A slightly shorter version of the miniseries aired to hearty acclaim last fall on England's BBC2 and has now completed a transatlantic crossing of its own, making its U.S. television premiere Saturday night at 9 on the Fox Reality Channel. (In addition, a two-hour "director's cut" of the 10-part series will be shown one night only, tomorrow, in movie theaters nationwide -- among them the Regal Gallery Place in Chinatown as well as other cinemas in Maryland and Northern Virginia.)

The proverbial first glance reveals "Long Way Down" to be a classy, witty standout from Fox's usual fare, and not the least stuffy or pedestrian. How indeed could the lads be pedestrian when each has a handsome and hefty BMW motorbike thigh-high and roaring for action? A sequel to 2004's "Long Way Round," this redeeming re-teaming of fast friends McGregor and Boorman traces their tracks from north to south rather than east to west -- the very scenic route from northern Scotland to southern South Africa with many a stop along the way.

Unfortunately, Fox made only the first hour-long episode available for preview, and it consists almost entirely of preparations for the journey, though even this activity is infectious and engaging. At the end, a preview of things (and places) to come is tantalizing: a 14,996-mile journey that takes in the Chunnel, the Pyramids, the equator, awesome waterfalls, hazardous habitats, daredevil bungee-jumping and monkeys, monkeys, monkeys. Barrels full of 'em, almost literally.

Though the tone is carefree and rowdy, this knockabout style of documentary can be just as informative and enlightening as the more formal and scholarly sort. One also learns that not all actors are dunderheads who'd rather gaze into mirrors than telescopes or binoculars. The point was made last year by, among others, Jeremy Piven, electrifying star of HBO's "Entourage," who sailed up the Nile as part of a personal and spiritual video journey through India on the Discovery Channel.

Unlike that excursion, "Long Way Down" will unfortunately not be televised in high definition, though it was shot that way. When the show is released on DVD in October, perhaps a Blu-ray version will be available to capture the sights in all their splendor. One of the healthful side effects of HDTV is a reawakening and re-imagining of documentaries generally, visits to foreign and exotic lands in particular.

It has long been claimed of television that it shows us the world, but for much of its first half-century, it showed us the world with some correspondent or commentator standing in front of it. Then came such abrasive irritations as "Survivor" and a new genre in which nature's wonders were used as mere backdrops for childish competitions. Now, at least on HD channels, interlopers are stepping aside and giving viewers breathtaking and unobstructed views in stunning, dreamlike clarity. Television is becoming a visual medium at last.

Not that McGregor and Boorman exactly hide from the cameras, of course. This is their personal record of a memorable journey; their actions and reactions are a large part of the story. They are genuinely intrigued, however, by the other people they meet along the way -- not just flora, fauna, beasts and bugs. Anticipating hostile encounters, the explorers and their support troops (including a team medic who is affectionately described as "a big old monster of a guy") debate whether to install bulletproof glass in the vehicles.

"I'd take a bullet for you," Boorman tells McGregor with a tinge of mockery but a hint of sincerity as well. Later, though, we learn that Boorman created a crisis of his own by making some sort of reference to a bomb while on an airplane carrying him to the starting point of the journey, the colorfully named Scottish town of John o'Groats. "I should never have said that word," Boorman sensibly admits after apparently having been escorted off the aircraft.

Other preparations prove somewhat dangerous, with McGregor injuring his leg in a traffic accident ("Something just went 'click,' " he recalls) and thereby possibly threatening the whole expedition. Another potential menace: Boorman's and McGregor's wives both pondering the notion of coming along on the trip, unintentionally evoking memories of Lucy and Ethel threatening to join up with Ricky and Fred's fishing trip on "I Love Lucy."

McGregor owes his chief fame to his appearances in the most recent "Star Wars" trilogy, but also through praise for his roles in "Trainspotting," about drug-taking slackers, and "Velvet Goldmine," in which he played an uninhibited rock star. Boorman, son of roguish director John Boorman, starred in his father's adventure film "The Emerald Forest" in 1985, but hasn't seemed all that serious about an acting career in the interim.

Both young men are believable and whimsical playing, and being, themselves, refreshingly curious about the world around them and boldly going where few actors and film crews have probably gone before. "Long Way Down," which raises money for UNICEF in addition to its entertainment and informational value, looks entirely like a trip worth the taking, with its two daring and playful guides the main reasons why.